Stuart's Wildlife Diary: A Trip to Belfast for Cryptic Wood White

A year ago we headed up to Fort William in Scotland to look for Chequered Skippers to complete my UK butterfly list, the trip was successful and I saw the Skippers but I felt a little deflated as I had completed my challenge to see all the regular breeding butterflies of the UK - or so I thought!

I have seen Wood White butterflies (Leptidea sinapis) in Devon but the Wood White butterflies flying in Ireland had been causing scientists headaches and on investigating matters further it was found in 2001 that there were in fact 2 species of Wood White present, the Wood White (L.sinapis) and Reals Wood White (Leptidea reali). Fast forward to 2011 and the Reals Wood White were not actually Reals Wood Whites at all but a totally new species altogether and were named the Cryptic Wood White (Leptidia juvernica). Northern Ireland is the only place in the UK where Cryptic Wood Whites are present and only Cryptic Wood Whites are found in Northern Ireland and so plans were hatched for a visit to try and see them.

I had been trawling the Internet to find out where to see the Cryptic Wood White and had managed to glean a little bit of information as to where to look for them with Craigavon Lakes near Portadown seeming to be the go to place for virtually guaranteed sightings. However I also found out about a site on the outskirts of Belfast City Centre called Lagan Meadows and with our base in Northern Ireland being Belfast I decided to focus my efforts there first.

We arrived in Belfast on Sunday 21st May and it was cool, cloudy and breezy but the next day was warmer and with occasional spells of sunshine and so I headed off to Lagan Meadows on the bus, just a 20 minute ride from the city centre and then a 10 minute walk.

Within 5 minutes of arriving on site I found a Cryptic Wood White which flushed from the grass before settling on a flower head for 5 seconds and then disappearing off over the tops of the nearby Hawthorn bushes. Fortunately over the next 3 hours I managed much better sightings and saw at least 4 together in the air at one time but they were mobile and flighty. Also present were Green-veined Whites and Orange-Tips although the Cryptic Wood Whites flight manner and behaviour were quite distinctive once I got my eye in on them. The easiest way to get a good view of one was to follow it in flight until the sun went behind the clouds and it settled on the grass.

Cryptic Wood White

Willow Warbler, Blackcap, Reed Bunting and Sedge Warbler were heard singing and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard "chipping" away. Hooded Crows regularly flew overhead and a pair of Little Grebes were trilling away on the river. A Variable Damselfly was also found resting in the grass by the footpath.

Variable Damselfly

It had been a very productive visit, it had only cost me £4.40 on the bus with a round trip time of 1 hour and I had the Cryptic Wood Whites all to myself - a trip to Craigavon Lakes would have taken a 2 hour round trip, cost a lot more (train and taxi fares) and would most likely have been a busier site. I was very pleased to see the Cryptic Wood Whites but again I am now a bit lost as to what is next!

Cryptic Wood White

Having seen my butterfly target on the first day of our trip meant I could relax and concentrate on other things and although I had the option to look for the Whites again during our stay either at Lagan Meadows or Craigavon Lakes I never did try again. However there was plenty of sightseeing to occupy me and along the way I managed some interesting wildlife sightings too.

We stayed at the Titanic Hotel in Belfast, the renovated Harland and Wolf Drawing Offices Building, and very nice it was too situated right in the heart of the docks where the Titanic was built. It was about a 20 minute walk from the hotel into the city centre along the River Lagan and there were always Hooded Crows, Common Terns, Black Guillemots and Sand Martins to watch along the walk.

Hooded Crows were fewer in number and more wary than Carrion Crows are in England but gave some nice views at times.

Hooded Crow

Common Terns were always patrolling back and forth over the water, the most I saw together were 4 but there were probably more present. There was always a noisy female present, perched up on posts or walls by the water while a male fished nearby and regularly flew over to her to feed her small fish he had caught before continuing his efforts. They were very tame and would often hover over the water just a few feet away from the footpath.

Common Tern

Black Guillemots were very tame too, the most I counted were 7 but again they were mobile and flighty. A pair were regularly seen by the SS Nomadic Dock, displaying and calling to each other and flying up to a hole in the dock wall. Both were ringed but I never managed to get a read of them.

Black Guillemot

Black Guillemot - with a lovely green irradescence in the sunshine

We took a day trip to the North Coast, starting at the ruins of Dunluce Castle which were very picturesque and interesting. From the ruins I scanned over the flat calm sea and noted around 10 Manx Shearwaters flying west distantly offshore, surprisingly my first of the year. Closer views were had of Fulmar, Gannet, Shag, Guillemot, Kittiwake and Sandwich Tern.

Dunluce Castle

The nearby Giants Causeway was also very stunning if a little busy with people. Sedge Warbler, Wheatear, Stonechat and Whitethroat were all seen and there were many Heath Spotted Orchids in flower in the clifftop fields. A single Speckled Wood along the clifftop footpath way the only butterfly seen all day.

Heath Spotted Orchid

Giants Causeway

Our trip to Northern Ireland was very enjoyable indeed, I saw my butterfly and David enjoyed all the Titanic stuff, the countryside was very beautiful, the people were very warm and friendly (and talkative!), the Titanic Hotel was a wonderful place to stay in and it didn't rain once! You can always tell you've had a good holiday when you feel like you need another one when you get home and that's exactly how we felt on our return to Plymouth.